New Delhi, Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be conducted in five phases from November 30 to December 20, an exercise spread over 21 days because of the naxal problem that poses a security challenge.
Counting of votes will be taken up on December 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora told a press conference here.
The 2014 Assembly elections too were also held in five phases in the state.
As per Union Home Ministry’s annual data, released last week, Jharkhand was the second most Maoist-affected state after Chhattisgarh in 2018 with 205 incidents of violence leading to 43 deaths.
Making the announcement of the poll schedule as the term of the Jharkhand Assembly is due to expire on January 5, 2020, Arora said adequate security arrangements will be made in the state for smooth conduct of the electoral exercise.
Asked about the number of security forces being deployed in the state, Arora refused to divulge because of security reasons.
The first phase polling is scheduled for November 30. The second phase is due on December 7 and the third, fourth and fifth phases of polling are scheduled for December 12, 16 and 20, respectively.
“All the provisions of the Model Code will apply to the whole of Jharkhand with regard to all candidates, political parties and Jharkhand government. The code shall also be applicable to the Union government insofar as announcements and policy decisions pertaining to or for Jharkhand.”
Of the 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand, nine are reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 28 for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) as determined by the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008.
In the first phase, 13 Assembly constituencies will go to the polls – prominent among them are Chatra (SC), Gumla (ST), Lohardaga (ST), Latehar (SC), Palamu, Daltonganj and Garhwa.
The polling will be held in 20 Assembly constituencies in the second phase that include East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Seraikella-Kharsawan, Ranchi, Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Chaibasa (ST), Khunti (ST) and Simdega (ST).
Seventeen Assembly constituencies will exercise their franchise in the third phase, including Koderma, Hazaribagh, Chatra, Simaria (SC), Ramgarh, Giridih and Ranchi. In the fourth phase, 15 constituencies, including Deoghar, Jamua (SC), Giridih, Dumri, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Jharia, will vote.
In the final phase, 16 Assembly constituencies will go to polls — among these are Litipara (ST), Dumka (ST), Godda and Mahagama.
In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Raghubar Das-led BJP is hoping to retain power in the state.
In 2014 Assembly elections, while the BJP had won 37 seats, its ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) won five.
The combined tally was enough for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to cross the majority mark of 41 in the 81-member Assembly in the Naxalism-affected state where 2014 Assembly elections were also held in five phases.
As part of its firm commitment towards gender equality and greater participation of women in the electoral process, the Commission has also directed that, to the extent possible, at least one polling station managed exclusively by women shall be set up in every Assembly constituency in Jharkhand. In such stations all election staff, including police and security personnel, must be women.
The Commission has decided to use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) along with Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at every polling station to enhance the transparency and credibility of the election process as VVPAT allows the voter to verify his or her vote.
The Commission has instructed the state’s Chief Electoral Officer that end-to-end movement of all reserve EVMs and VVPATs will be carefully monitored at all times, for which all sector officers’ vehicles with reserve EVMs and VVPATs will be fitted with GPS tracking system.
